Just 8 passenger-vehicle ranges starting at R200 000 or less remain in South Africa. How well are these budget cars selling? Let’s unpack the sales figures for SA’s cheapest cars…
A mere 6 years ago, South Africa’s new-vehicle market contained as many as 42 passenger-car ranges with a starting price of less than R200 000. Today, that number stands at just 8. So, how well are the country’s cheapest cars selling?
Well, we tracked local registrations of this octet over the past 12 months – from the start of March 2022 to the end of February 2023 – to see how they rank. To qualify, the respective passenger-car range must start at R200 000 or less (note that even if some higher-spec derivatives come in above that figure, we’re still including them in this exercise, as model sales reported to Naamsa are unfortunately not broken down by derivative).
Before we explore the sales statistics of the nation’s cheapest cars, it’s interesting to note 7 of the 8 model ranges are shipped over from India, which is the leading country of origin in terms of vehicle imports into SA, and by quite some margin, too. In addition, it’s worth mentioning most of the vehicle ranges listed here benefit from a seasonal spike in sales owing to their popularity with rental-fleet buyers.
Suzuki Swift is the runaway budget-car leader
Yes, the Suzuki Swift was the unchallenged winner, with a whopping 17 766 units registered in South Africa over the past 12 months. That’s almost double the number achieved by the model slotting into 2nd place. Of course, we should point out only a single of the 7 Swift derivatives – the 1.2 GA at R194 900 – comes in at under R200 000.
Still, one could argue that makes the Swift’s sales performance even more impressive. For the record, the Maruti-sourced budget hatchback dipped under 1 000 units only once (in December 2022 with 806 sales) during the reporting period, while its best month was June 2022, when as many as 1 925 examples were registered (making to SA’s best-selling vehicle overall for 2 months on the trot). As a reminder, the Swift placed 2nd on the list of SA’s most popular passenger cars – behind only the Volkswagen Polo Vivo – in 2022, with the lightweight hatchback’s sales growing a hefty 108% year on year.
Renault Kwid grabs a comfortable 2nd spot
Though it found itself in a distant 2nd place, the Renault Kwid nevertheless proved a consistent performer for the French firm’s local distributor, with 8 978 units registered in the reporting period. The brand’s entry-level model range – which comprises 5 variants priced from R180 999 to R211 999 – broke the 4-figure barrier only once, when 1 077 units were sold in September 2022.
The Kwid finished the 12-month stretch well ahead of the model in 3rd place, which ended up more than 2 700 units off the pace. As a reminder, the Chennai-produced Kwid placed 8th on the list of SA’s top-selling passenger cars overall in 2022.
Hyundai Atos bows out with the final podium place
As its maker recently confirmed to Cars.co.za, the Hyundai Atos will soon be discontinued in South Africa as production in India has come to an end. The South Korean firm’s local division will certainly miss the entry-level hatchback’s contribution, which came in at a healthy 6 233 units over the past 12 months (a figure that would obviously have been even higher had production continued).
Note this number includes a few Cargo-badged panel-van derivatives registered in the light-commercial segment. Overall, the best single month for the 4-strong Atos line-up – priced from R199 900 to R214 900 – was March 2022, when 822 units were sold. With no direct replacement on the cards and stock running dry, the base version of the Grand i10 will take over as Hyundai’s cheapest car.
3 more Suzukis, an outgoing Toyota and a Mahindra
Despite a dip in sales around the time of its upgrade at the end of 2022, the Suzuki S-Presso – which is officially South Africa’s cheapest new passenger car, starting at R165 900 in 1.0 GL guise – found itself in 4th position. Over the past year, 5 243 units of the diminutive Suzuki were sold locally.
Just squeezing onto the list at a starting price of R200 000, the Toyota Agya wasn’t far behind in 5th spot, with 4 524 units registered over the reporting period. Like the Atos, the Agya – which is based on the Daihatsu Ayla, manufactured in Indonesia and arrived in SA as recently as late-2020 – is set to exit the local market soon. The new Vitz (a rebadged Celerio) is due to replace it in the 2nd quarter of 2023.
Effectively a notchback-sedan version of the popular Swift, the Suzuki Dzire (3 216 units) grabbed 6th place, ahead of the Suzuki Celerio (2 511 units). The latest generation of the latter launched in South Africa in March 2022 and bears a starting price of R178 900. Question is, will the upcoming Toyota-badged version outsell it? History suggests so…
The final place on the list went to the Mahindra KUV100 Nxt, which kicks off at R172 999. The Indian firm’s entry-level model range was the only one here that failed to crack 4 figures, with local registrations for some reason tapering off through 2022. Its overall sales figure – which includes the awkwardly named #Xprez panel van – came in at 878 units.
Sales of SA’s cheapest cars (up to R200k) over the past year
1. Suzuki Swift – 17 766 units
2. Renault Kwid – 8 978 units
3. Hyundai Atos – 6 233 units
4. Suzuki S-Presso – 5 243 units
5. Toyota Agya – 4 524 units
6. Suzuki Dzire – 3 216 units
7. Suzuki Celerio – 2 511 units
8. Mahindra KUV100 Nxt – 878 units
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